The Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore will host the exhibition "What Else Amber Has Planned…"
The exhibition "What Else Amber Has in Mind..." has been open at the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore since March 20.
The exhibition is organized by the Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk and is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia in cooperation with the Riga 2014 Foundation. Riga is the European Capital of Culture in 2014, and the organizers propose the theme of amber as one of the components of their program.
The rich traditions of amber processing are over a thousand years old; they formed the basis of the famous amber trade route, which the ancient Romans established as one of their five main trade routes. What can amber offer today on the ancient amber route? This can be seen at the exhibition "What Else Amber Has in Mind...".
The exhibition of tapestries woven with amber thread is the brainchild of Inge Laščenko and Ilveta Vecenāne.
The leading inventor of the Riga Centre for Biomaterials and Innovations at Riga Technical University, Doctor of Technical Sciences, holder of two prestigious awards – the Gold Medal of the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Gold Medal for Research, Inge Laščenko has transformed amber using the latest technology and created amber thread from composite materials.
Currently, the full potential of amber thread is still being explored, but its amazing medical properties, which contribute to the creation of blood vessels that could be used in cardiovascular surgery, have already been identified.
Amber thread is also applicable in the textile industry. Amber composite thread has gained international recognition in the tapestries of the renowned Latvian textile artist Ineta Vēcuāne. She has been creating in this field for over 20 years and has participated in over a hundred exhibitions in Latvia and abroad. Her most significant solo exhibitions have been held in the USA, Finland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. Ineta Vēcuāne is also a costume designer for theatre, paints on silk, and creates jewelry. She is the first artist in the world to work with the new amber thread.
While creating works for this exhibition, the artist experimented with the visually unobtrusive amber thread, testing how it can be combined with other types of threads, what weaving methods can be used, how it can be dyed, how it reacts to lighting, and how it can be used in industrial production.
Science and the art of weaving are combined in the handmade tapestries presented at the exhibition. Traditional materials – silk, cashmere, cotton, wool, mohair, linen – are juxtaposed with the braided and woven amber composite thread. The amber thread "releases light from the fabric" and it "shines like warm milk." The textured, unfinished beauty of the tapestry reveals all the magic of this thread.
The official presentation of the exhibition will take place on March 25 at 4:00 PM, as part of the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the resumption of activities of the Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk.
The exhibition is open at the Town Hall (Lenina St., 36) from March 20 to April 20, 2014.